Best Of Everything by R.E. Blake, Russell Blake Read Free Book Online Page A

release. Talk shows, radio, magazines, the whole drill. And there will be some charity events and award shows between now and then.”
    “Bring ’em on. I’m ready.”
    “I’m glad to hear it.” She stares at me with a blank expression. “I saw the coverage of you and Derek. How’s he handling things?”
    So she knows. I shrug. “Good. I mean, as well as can be expected, you know? We’ll get through it.”
    She nods again, but her eyes say she’s unconvinced. “I’ve been working with Derek’s booking agent, but it’s going to be hard to get him into most of the venues. The promoters like the lineup as it is, and the only possibility is a string of dates in the Midwest.”
    I slump. That’s what I was afraid of. Regardless of how I view it, there are huge financial stakes in play, and Derek’s not A-list yet. I have no doubt he will be, but my opinion isn’t relevant, at least not until I have my own headlining tour, and that’s a ways off, if ever.
    “The other thing we’re running up against is that he’s signed to a different label, and obviously Saul wants to keep things in the family. If you start to break big, why should he give a slot to Derek rather than one of his roster? You can see his point, even if he doesn’t say so out loud. That’s just how the business works.”
    Our food arrives and it smells like heaven, oversized cubes of melting cholesterol globbed on top of my pancakes like icebergs swimming in a carbohydrate sea.
    “But there are some dates you think you can get him on?” I say as I slather the pile of flapjacks with syrup. Terry watches without comment as I cut lumberjack-sized bites and fork a small mountain of pancake into my mouth.
    She pours half her dressing on the salad and spears a chunk of chicken with her fork. “In the Midwest, for a week and a half.”
    I must look crestfallen because she sounds defensive. “Sage, getting even that was a small miracle. Everyone loves the lineup as it is, and I had to pull a lot of strings to make that happen. I sold Saul on the idea that it would be a good move to capitalize on the nostalgia of you and Derek on the same stage.”
    She chews thoughtfully on her salad as I hoover another mound of pancake. “Maybe I can sell Saul on the idea of some promo appearances together. The world is just fascinated with the young love aspect of your story. And obviously it’s more…sensational just at the moment.”
    “That would be awesome. I’d fly anywhere to do one.”
    “Let me think about it a little. Saul’s protective of his acts. He’s putting everything he has behind you – he’s convinced you’re going to be a megastar, and Saul has the juice to make that happen. I get the feeling he views you and Derek as a complication, not a positive, but maybe I can turn that around. He’s stubborn, but he’s also one of the smartest businessmen I know, and if he sees an opportunity, he’ll jump at it.”
    “Well, then let’s try to make him see Derek and me as an opportunity.”
    Terry and I eat in silence, canned music piping through overhead speakers like in a cheesy department store elevator. When I sit back, stuffed, the last of the pancakes hulking defiantly in the center of the plate, she pushes her salad away and orders a cup of black coffee. When the waitress clears the dishes, she lowers her voice.
    “How serious are you about this guy?”
    Blood rushes to my face, and I do my best to keep my tone flat. “Very.”
    “And he feels the same way?”
    I nod.
    She takes a long, thoughtful sip of her coffee and frowns. “This stuff tastes like tar.” She puts the cup down. “How are you coping with the kid thing? Really?”
    “Fine, I guess. I mean, I don’t have to do much about it personally. I’m here, he’s there. So not a lot I can offer but moral support.”
    “You okay with that? You looked like your head was going to explode on the tabloid sites.”
    “That’s just my ‘surprised by the ex with the kid at